Sales Guide & Tips

Choosing the right Estate Agent is vitally important; you will be entering into a partnership where each partner must clearly understand the other’s needs.

The duty of the Estate Agent is to effectively and proactively market your property and guide you through the whole process of buying or selling, right up to the day you move.

Here at Family Homes, we have considerable experience of selling properties in all market conditions. This is essential if you are not only to achieve an early sale but also the best possible price.

Our website will give you an insight into how much care we take in presenting our clients’ properties and making them available to the widest possible audience.

People have different reasons for selling, from disposing of an investment property to simply moving home.

Once you have decided to sell up, think about what you want to include in the sale. Normally, fixtures and fittings such as fitted storage heaters are included in the price but other moveable things can be up for negotiation.

If you are disposing of items you no longer need, do it before you start marketing your property as the less clutter you have, the faster your house will sell. Many councils take large items away, sometimes for free.

Give your agent other useful documents and facts about your property, which they can mention to potential buyers, such as:

Gas and electrical certificate checks.

Building regulations certificates.

Council tax, utility, buildings and contents insurance bills.

Service charges and ground rent bills (for flats).

Property Value

There are several ways to help you determine how much you should put your house on the market for:

Consult Family Homes who can offer expert advice to help you determine a realistic asking price.

Use the House Price section on Rightmove and Zoopla to check out average sold house prices in your area.

Get an accurate picture of trends in your area, as well as national changes from the Rightmove House Price Index. Produced monthly, it analyses asking prices of properties that have just come on the market, breaking them down into regional averages.

Search for similar properties for sale in your area and see what they are currently being marketed for.

Property Viewings

Now you have signed a contract with Family Homes, you need to get your home ready for viewings and give your house the best chance of selling. First impressions count so put yourself in the buyers' shoes and think about how you can enhance your property's draw.

Consider its "kerb appeal"; the first thing potential buyers will see before they even get past the front door. Here are some things to look out for:

Does the front of your house need smartening up?

Could the front garden be tidier?

Would the front door look better with a fresh lick of paint?

Could the front windows do with a clean?

Look at the inside with a critical eye too:

Keep it clean and tidy. De-clutter and use sensible storage. Potential buyers will want to visualise how they can fill the space.

Undertake any minor repairs that need doing so buyers will need to really try hard to find any negatives If you want to re-decorate, go for neutral tones, which will appeal to a wider audience

Make your house comfortable, cool on hot sunny days and warm if it's winter

Banish smoke or pet odours. Open the windows, brew some fresh coffee and add finishing touches such as fresh flowers, to brighten the place up

Bring out the best features such as fireplaces and use mirrors to increase the sense of space.

Preparing To Move

Here are some tips to make the day you move out as painless as possible:

Ask your friends to recommend a professional removal firm, like Family Homes. We offer a full removal service, at an incredibly competitive rate. Please contact us to discuss your requirements and for a quotation.

Think about moving out and in on separate days so you don’t have to squeeze everything into the same day.

Leaving a few days before moving will free up time to get essential work to your new home completed without needing to work around piles of boxes. It’s a great time for carpet cleaning, decorating or any DIY projects that might be dusty like sanding woodwork or floorboards, re-plastering etc.

If you can, avoid moving on a Monday or Friday: they are the busiest days for moving as well as for traffic on the roads.

Remember to take meter readings on both properties on the day(s) of the move.Set up your post to be redirected a few weeks before you move with the Royal Mail - a good precaution against identity theft.

While you still have an internet connection (it could be a few weeks before your new property is connected), download any instruction manuals from the manufacturer’s website for your new appliances

Prepare a note for the new owners explaining how things work and where they can find useful items such as the boiler switches, aerial sockets and alarm codes. A few kind thoughts will go a long way when it comes to mail redirection and injects some humanity into the whole process.